We are required by law to recover the cost of processing nonimmigrant visas through the collection of visa application processing fees, also called Machine-Readable Visa (MRV) fees.  The cost-of-service model is updated annually to determine direct and indirect costs to the U.S. government when providing all consular services, such as nonimmigrant visa processing.  This update was completed in December 2011 using an activity-based cost model, which is standard for estimating the cost of government services.

The activity-based cost model takes into account all costs to the U.S. government, including a major cost driver:  visa workload volume.  Items that impact the model include an increase in the number of visas processed or new regulations requiring additional security screenings.  The model also includes costs of major Department initiatives, particularly those related to meeting the increase in demand for nonimmigrant visas.

The $160 fee also includes the unrecovered costs of processing Border Crossing Cards for certain Mexican citizen minors.  By law, the fees for Border Crossing Cards for minors are frozen at $13 (not including other statutory surcharges).  However, the cost of processing these applications is much greater.

April 13, 2012

Applicants will be charged the fee in effect on the day of the payment.  The Cairo Amman Bank will begin to collect the new $160 fee on April 13, 2010. If you have already paid the $140 and your interview is scheduled between April 13, 2012 and July 12, 2012, you will not need to pay any additional fees. If your interview is scheduled after July 12, 2012, please be prepared to pay the difference of $20 or 14.2 JD in cash or by credit card (Mastercard or Visa) at the Embassy on the day of the interview.  You will not be interviewed until the fee has been paid.

Application fees are assessed based on the day you remit payment, not on the day you interview.  Therefore, no refunds will be given.  However, these receipts will continue to be valid for the usual one year from the date of issuance.

The December 2011 cost-of-service model update costs shows that certain categories of nonimmigrant visas cost more to process than other categories of nonimmigrant visas.  The new fees reflect the costs of each visa service.

The MRV processing fee is paid by all visa applicants, worldwide, with certain limited exceptions, for example, those pertaining to government officials. It must be paid in advance, whether or not the visa is granted. The reciprocal issuance fee is an additional charge paid by visa applicants from certain countries in certain categories and is based on similar fees U.S. citizens are charged for visas to visit those countries. The reciprocity fee is charged only if the visa is granted.

For the first time, the cost-of-service model calculated services performed on behalf of other federal agencies, allowing the Department of State to seek reimbursement under the Economy Act.  This has had a considerable impact on our costs when processing immigrant visas, because much of this work intersects with the USCIS immigration process.

We expect the cost of processing immigrant visas to remain stable, while the volume will increase, leading to lower costs in the short term.  As a result, immigrant visa processing fees have decreased.

The proposed fees accurately reflect the processing costs we incur, and regulations require full cost recovery through fees.  Past increases in nonimmigrant visa fees did not negatively impact the number of applications received worldwide. The cost is still small compared to the cost of round-trip airfare from most countries to the United States. In addition, the total cost of a tourist visa, when averaged over ten years, is $16 per year.